Learning the importance of compassion from the Dalai Lama

Family

Learning the importance of compassion from the Dalai Lama

There's nothing like seeing someone smile when they recount memories of their childhood – especially when that person is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

At a recent Free The Children gathering called We Day that brought together 16,000 student leaders in Vancouver's GM Place, the stadium was silent as the 74-year-old spiritual leader turned down sitting in a chair and walked to the edge of the stage to be closer to the young people.

Making an impressionYou could tell by the crowd's reaction that he managed to connect with each and every person present. The entire stadium placed their palms together and stood to bow in respect. Teenagers ceased talking. Younger kids looked on in awe.

His Holiness spoke about making the twenty-first century one of peace. He told everyone that to achieve that, we needed more compassion. Then, he spoke of how this all related back to one woman - his mother.

The Dalai Lama told us that in his childhood, she would carry him on his shoulders as he pulled her in the direction he wanted to go. He told us of her kindness. And through the smile that appeared on his face at the very mention of her name, his message was clear.

What is compassion?Sometimes people attribute compassion to weakness. This could not be further from the truth. Certainly, as His Holiness says, compassion is what breeds harmony and peace – two things that only strengthen the world we live in.

"Let us make this whole world a world of smiles," said His Holiness. "Then, wherever we go, we see our friends and immediately you see friendship develop, trust develop."

As the Dalai Lama made light of getting older, he challenged the younger generation to be compassionate as they become leaders. Then, he challenged parents to model compassion by nurturing their children and showing them infinite love that will be modeled throughout their lives.

Page 1 of 2 - one page 2: how to instill compassion your kids

How we learned about compassionIn hearing the Dalai Lama speak so warmly of his parents and his childhood, it got us thinking about our own family. Through our parents' actions, conversations and challenges, we learned about the importance of caring and compassion in our world.

When we had birthday parties, Mom encouraged us to invite kids who were often excluded and asked us how we would feel in their place. If we recounted to Dad the story of a bully at school, not only did he ask who the bully and victim were, he also wanted to know what we did about the incident.

These may seem like small actions that wouldn't extend much beyond the limits of our schoolyard. But they are the kind of things that get you thinking. How would I feel if I wasn't invited to a birthday party? How would I feel if I was the one being bullied?

What can I do to make sure no one feels like that?

A call to actionEven though our society puts a lot of emphasis on our academic, athletic and artistic abilities, compassion is of equal importance. If your child can look at another person and empathize with their situation, this is truly a gift that should be nurtured.

"Now peace means when there is possibility of conflict or violence, using our common sense of compassion," said the Dalai Lama to his captivated audience. "So therefore the twenty-first century should be the century of peace. That should be our aim."

While this may seem like a daunting call to action, by planting the seeds of compassion in our children, we can nurture them to empathize and seek harmony in our global community.

It's just up to us to lead by example.

Tips for parents:1. Lead by exampleBe a good compassionate role model for your children. Compassion begets compassion. Don't be afraid to show it at every opportunity.

2. Every contribution countsEnlist your children to do chores around the house and let them know how much their help means to you.

3. Encourage conversationTalk to your kids about the highlights and lowlights of the day. Then come up with ways that they can take action.

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Culture & Entertainment

Nelly Furtado helps us be a little greener

Culture & Entertainment

Nelly Furtado helps us be a little greener

The singer-songwriter and philanthropist comes clean on her ten-year job as a housekeeper, why she finds cleaning therapeutic, when she taught her daughter to do laundry and why she has teamed up with Tide purclean to launch its new eco-friendly detergent.

Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado grew up in the family business—the cleaning business. “I come from a housekeeping background. My mom ran a laundry and cleaning company, and from a young age, I would go along with her to help out on odd jobs,” says Furtado. For the Grammy-award winner, lending a hand with the housekeeping turned into her first decade-long job. “I was a professional housekeeper at a hotel for 10 years in Vancouver,” says Furtado.

So, when Tide approached Furtado to help launch purclean—their first bio-based detergent (65% of the ingredients are made using renewable energy sources, such as plants)—the decision was an easy one. This more eco-friendly option is also hypoallergenic, free of dyes, chlorine and phosphates, and is produced in an environmentally-friendly manufacturing site.

Along with using a more sustainable detergent, Furtado limits the amount of loads she does per week and uses energy-saving cold water. “Every little bit counts: I drive a hybrid car so I only have to fill up on gas once a month. I make my own cleaning products with vinegar and water. When I’m spring cleaning or moving, I donate everything from faucets and cabinets to furniture to Habitat for Humanity so they can reuse them instead of putting them in a landfill,” says Furtado.

Furtado taught her daughter, Nevis, who is now 13-years-old, how to do laundry when she was 10-years-old. “At the time, she was saving up to buy an iPad, so Furtado gave her a list of chores to do, including laundry, to save enough money for the big purchase. “I felt I was teaching her a really valuable skill that she’ll use into adulthood, but she already mastered it at a young age. She’s really good at folding, too,” says Furtado.

Along with raising a teenage daughter and managing a successful music career (she has sold 16 million albums), she is committed to her environmental and humanitarian philanthropic work. This year, she helped host We Day, an event that empowers kids to contribute to positive changes in their communities, as well as acknowledging many who do. She also remains very close to the organization, Free The Children—she has helped raise $1 million dollars for a new all-girls school in Narok in rural Kenya. This Christmas, Nelly will visit the girls at the school.

In March 2018, Furtado will release her seventh album, The Ride. Most of the songs were written outside the studio while doing other things, such as laundry or in a car ride in Kenya during one of her Free The Children missions.

These days, when she’s not travelling, Furtado continues to clean her own house as she finds it puts her in a meditative mood, giving her the opportunity to focus on her music. “It’s part of who I am,” says Furtado.